Chapter 320: Part-Time Resurgence, Taking Turns to Step Up (Ten-Thousand-Character Chapter)

Having just returned to his floating pillar, without surprise, Du En was immediately greeted by the four people who had arrived in unison.

"Yingcai's divine might is even more formidable; it still leaves this concubine filled with the utmost admiration!"

"Hahaha, Yingcai, you are truly amazing!"

"That's right, we had only just adjusted ourselves and were thinking of speaking up to refute something, but you had already won!"

"A bunch of gutless cowards who only know how to vent their anger and harbor malice; if we run into them next, we must teach them a harsh lesson!"

Su Wanhe, who spoke last, still seemed to be brooding over the fact that their previous opponent had surrendered without a fight, and now, with the recent display of that group venting their anger and harboring malice, her frustration naturally compounded, making her even more eager for action.

"A cornered beast will still fight; we cannot be careless."

The more a person is pushed to the limit, the more ruthless and insane they become during a life-or-death struggle!

Not to mention that there is all sorts of malice gathering now, so if it really comes to that point, it will only be even more so!

Du En looked at Su Wanhe, who was perhaps a bit too heroic for a woman, and offered this reminder.

"I shall certainly keep it in mind!"

She immediately responded with a solemn expression, and from her serious look, it was clear she had actually taken it to heart.

Though, it might just flare up again, right?

One cannot be too relaxed, either.

Looking at Xiong Fa, there were no signs of such emotions yet; perhaps it was because he was relatively satisfied with that previous bout?

Du En, the boss on the scene, not only had to worry about the opponents but also had to ponder these teammates-cum-subordinates who weren't exactly reliable; in the end, it was the calculating Ying Dongqing who caused the fewest problems.

Finally, looking at Hao Liao, who had long since been eliminated, although Du En could be considered to have "avenged" him, because he had lost so decisively before, he actually held no grudge, and naturally, he wasn't overly agitated at this moment, nor would he get carried away and cause any trouble later on.

For instance, getting hot-headed and drawing extra enmity toward Du En while watching the matches.

As for him, after being eliminated, the white iron floating pillar he used for residence and lingering was naturally gone, so he was now a transient; he usually stayed with Xiong Fa, and when he felt it was almost Xiong Fa's turn, he would run over to Du En's side.

He wouldn't disturb Du En either, just staying in the spectator seats to cultivate or review certain bouts, appearing diligent and conscientious overall; clearly, having suffered a setback once, he had learned his lesson and was in a phase of striving for improvement.

After examining the emotional states of these few and exchanging a few casual words with them, Du En let them all disperse.

After all, he still had to go for his daily grind.

He stepped into that wilderness space, which had now become lush with green grass, the dark clouds gradually dispersing, and the overall environment had improved significantly; even the various pits left behind from many days of practicing the Meteor Rock Art had all been repaired.

The overall situation was much better, but it still couldn't compare to a fifth-tier cave dwelling, and he still needed spirit meals to make up for the deficiency.

Thus, before his grind, he transmitted his voice via divine sense: "Jueyi, are you there?"

"What is it?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to ask, are there any more thank-you gifts from Great Cultivator Yun Yi?"

"You really are direct!"

"So that means there are, right?"

"You could even sense that?"

Meng Changqing had originally intended to keep him hanging for a few days, but he hadn't expected this guy to notice so quickly.

Du En made his own deduction: "From the actual situation of those two, Great Cultivator Yun Yi must certainly value her more; therefore, although there had already been a thank-you gift, logically speaking, it should have been included, but I feel there is a not-insignificant possibility that there will be more."

"And the most critical point: your reaction was too fast, as if you were waiting for me."

Hm?

Was it?

Wasn't it like this before?

Meng Changqing highly suspected that Du En was talking nonsense, fabricating words based on the situation he had bluffed out.

"It's not that there's a problem with your answer, but the sentence where you said I was direct; under normal circumstances, there should have been some speechless, choked-up pause, after all, your principles are relatively strong."

Meng Changqing: "..."

How did I just hear that as you beating around the bush to say I'm stubborn, inflexible, and therefore, despite having had many experiences, I still like to have reactions like being speechless?

He was suddenly furious: "Do you still want his thank-you gift or not? If you don't, I'll collect it on your behalf!"

"I want it, bring it over quickly."

"... Here, I've given it."

"Where is it?"

"Merit, one Grade C-Upper."

"Merit, huh..."

One Grade C-Upper merit was actually quite good; it corresponded to the fixed reward for the Nascent Soul stage. It was especially worth noting that because Great Cultivator Yun Yi was stationed in an inland city, opportunities to earn merit were actually few; for him to bring out a Grade C-Upper merit now could be considered a generous gesture.

Even with the current price levels, it was more than enough to exchange for the Ice Soul Art that Du En had chosen.

It was just that, because of the five-fold price increase, its purchasing power had been significantly discounted.

"It's already quite good that they are giving an extra thank-you gift, yet you sound quite picky?"

"No, I know he actually gave it much thought; he gave spirit items last time, so it wouldn't be good to repeat that."

Du En answered calmly; the pause in his words earlier was because he had thought of something else, so he had intentionally revealed it.

Simply put, first there was the overall price hike, then the Thousand-Day Grand Competition, and since this price hike was derived from the competition, it was obvious that the upper echelons would not take the initiative to adjust it now, causing the merit exchange to be in a state of chaos, where hard work was completely disproportionate to the gains.

"Won't this cause any trouble?"

He took the opportunity to ask.

"No, because True Ones generally don't have any merit to gain."

Meng Changqing spoke as a matter of course, pointing out this situation.

The information contained within had two possible directions: one, of course, was that the dead have no need for rewards, so generally, there wouldn't be any gains.

The other, well, was that the intensity of the Sect Hegemony among the upper echelons was not high, or perhaps the casualty rate of Void Refinement True Ones was very low.

In just ordinary tug-of-war battles, it was impossible to be awarded merit; only in major campaign victories, such as beheading an equal-ranked opponent, would it be granted.

Considering that the Five Great Immortal Sects are unreasonable, the two possibilities can actually be considered together: they won't fight on ordinary days, so naturally there is no reward without merit, but once the intensity is raised and formal combat begins, there will immediately be heavy casualties, and dead men need no compensation.

In other words, regarding the exchange of merit, as long as the portion of armor merit corresponding to the True Immortals is adjusted in time, there won't be any practical problems; it has certainly already been adjusted by now, or perhaps, it may not have been touched at all.

As for the lower three ranks of B, C, and D, those three categories facing the Deity Transformation, Nascent Soul, and Golden Core stages, whatever opinions or dissatisfaction they may have, they can only keep them bottled up inside.

Even for Meng Changqing—no, precisely because it is him, this person who is extremely opposed to hegemony, he wouldn't go to adjust it at all, and might even hope for it to rot completely.

"You still have the mood to think about these things right now! Of course, as for your side, it can be converted back to its previous value to go and exchange for other items, so, what do you want to buy?"

He still takes good care of his subordinates, so he has to provide his own surplus grain again.

Du En only shook his head: "No need, keep it for now, it might be useful later; after all, it can be exchanged at the original price."

As for the Ice Soul Art, as long as one can enter the top twenty, it can naturally be obtained.

"..."

Meng Changqing fell into silence, his heart skipped a beat, and he immediately became alert and vigilant.

Sure enough, because Du En was in great need of resources again, he revealed his true intentions at this moment and spoke via voice transmission: "By the way, can I advance various spiritual items first?"

Huh?

Meng Changqing had thought of many situations, but he never expected Du En to say such a thing, never expected him to be so thick-skinned and shameless as to even say words like that!

Therefore, Meng Changqing could not help but reveal a somewhat dazed expression on his face, drawing the gaze of the four True Monarchs, who each had their own thoughts, causing him to quickly tighten his face and stabilize the atmosphere here.

"A resolution?"

"I shouldn't have misheard just now, right? You are shamelessly saying you want to get an advance?"

"Yes, an advance on the reward..."

"No, no! Wouldn't that be chaotic!"

Given Meng Changqing's principles, of course, it was impossible to agree.

Fortunately, Du En did not have much expectation for this "empty-handed white wolf" operation; he was just thinking of making a start, proceeding step by step, and then, it drew an extra voice.

"I can do it here..."

"Get lost! What is eavesdropping? Is this something a True Monarch should do?!"

True Monarch Zhuding, because of the anomaly here, immediately pondered and sought an opportunity to act, but was immediately blocked by the prepared Meng Changqing.

Du En deliberately paused slightly, appearing moved, but unfortunately, Meng Changqing was also a stubborn rock, clearly not intending to step back because of this, and simply did not take the bait.

What a pity.

"Then, give me a part-time job; work in exchange for stones, to trade for resources."

"That is possible, artifact refining..."

"No artifact refining, cooking; fifth-grade, I'll just cook it in one pot and then divide it into two portions."

"... How come I feel that in the end, it will still go into your mouth?"

Meng Changqing was, as always, somewhat speechless.

Because if one carefully counts his subordinates, besides the few secret agents who cannot be named, it seems only this guy can gorge himself on fifth-grade spiritual food, while others can't eat much at all.

Du En did not answer; there was no need to answer.

At the same time, True Monarch Zhuding, who was actually still eavesdropping and could hear some fragments, also secretly shook his head slightly.

This is the benefit of Du En defecting to Meng Changqing: he is the only one, and as long as one can grasp the pulse and find the right method, then the benefits are basically all one's own.

Seeing the gaze here change slightly, Meng Changqing did not remain speechless and immediately expressed to Du En, somewhat sullenly, that it was acceptable.

However, he had a second thought, and a plan came to mind.

In short, through such a path to replenish resources, Du En went full throttle, frantically piling on materials to cook fifth-grade spiritual food, continuing his "liver-grinding" cultivation.

Time flowed on again, and the second round of duels for the others also unfolded one by one.

Ninety-seven days later, Su Wanhe appeared on stage again.

This time she swore to display her own style and show her own strength, so she stared fixedly at her opponent, just not wanting the other party to surrender without a fight again.

Jia Yao gave a bitter smile at this.

He looked quite graceful, only his stature was slightly short; at this moment, he first paid his respects to Du En, who was watching the battle.

"You don't want to surrender too, do you!?"

Seeing this, Su Wanhe was greatly shocked and hurriedly spoke up.

Because she sensed an off-putting taste from Jia Yao's actions.

Not just her, but the others watching from the sidelines felt the same way.

Therefore, some people couldn't help but mutter about things like backroom deals, filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred; even his companions Xiong Fa and Hao Liaoxue thought the same, feeling that their fellow traveler was truly lucky.

Then, they saw that Ying Dongqing did not have any joy, and their hearts jumped, so they hurriedly looked back at Du En, who was in the center front position.

Hmm, as always, no change in expression.

Can't tell the emotions!

They were somewhat distressed, but fortunately, the situation developed rapidly, so they didn't have to continue this distress.

They only saw Jia Yao smile bitterly and speak: "Fellow Daoist Su is overthinking it; although I also come from the Southern Pivot City and can be considered to have received the kindness of Talent Du previously, I consider myself a genius, so naturally, I will not commit such an act of surrendering out of thin air."

Hmm?!

A genius?

Su Wanhe was immediately greatly shocked, and her vigilance rose directly.

Xiong Fa and Hao Liaoxue also had their expressions change, and they couldn't help but ask in unison: "Talent, could this be some kind of targeting again?"

"No, it's just about time."

Du En only said this.

In the first round, five hundred and eighty-six matches were held, meaning one thousand one hundred and seventy-two people participated.

But in reality, it was not that half of them were eliminated, which would be five hundred and eighty-six people, but rather, from beginning to end, a total of six hundred and thirty-two people were eliminated.

Thus, there were only 1,140 participants remaining.

Now in the second round, which has progressed to the ninety-seventh day, a total of 194 people are participating, but the scale of elimination has actually reached 108.

The reason is actually very simple: both sides suffer, injuries are severe and hard to heal, or even the foundation collapses; even if one wins, one cannot continue to compete, and they are simply thrown back to where they came from!

As a result, the total number of remaining participants is only 1,032.

Because of this, the geniuses who were supposed to enter the competition only in the third round have also begun to enter in mixed batches according to their strength zones!

In any case, with Du En having already started it, it is very reasonable, logical, and compliant with the rules; even True Monarch Buyi did not object, which can be called a five-to-zero unanimous vote.

"Fellow Daoist Su, no need to be too nervous. I actually accumulated strength over time and only took that step right before the Grand Competition. It can be considered good luck, but I must admit and acknowledge that I am truly not as outstanding as Du the Talent, nor do I have the deep accumulation of other geniuses, so I can be considered a weakling among geniuses, and my strength is quite average."

Jia Yao was not lying, nor was there any need to lie, because in this situation, geniuses could tell as soon as they saw this normal ranking situation.

—The foundation accumulation is not quite enough, so even though the cultivation base is Nascent Soul mid-stage, one must enter the arena before other early-stage geniuses; one is indeed a bottom-tier weakling among the same rank, and is even considered by the True Monarchs to be inferior to other early-stage geniuses.

Yet, for him to say it so directly now made Su Wanhe feel rather uncomfortable.

"Do you think that if your accumulation were sufficient, I wouldn't be worthy of being your opponent? Or are you boasting about your situation to me, feeling smug, so that I would know the difficulty and retreat?"

"No, I am just explaining it this way so that you and Du the Talent know the basic situation, and in what follows, I will naturally give it my all!"

"……In that case, it is I who was suspicious and narrow-minded, my apologies."

Su Wanhe stared at him, seeing that he appeared earnest and sincere and had already begun to raise his momentum, she immediately felt a pressure rushing toward her face, so she promptly suppressed her distracting thoughts and replied with a sincere apology.

Then, the Crimson Beauty Guan Dao appeared!

A crimson color ignited out of thin air, dyeing the surroundings, as if red tassels were fluttering, the momentum brilliant; a fierce intent of slaughter rose spontaneously, as if a thousand armies and ten thousand horses were before one's eyes, the momentum extremely majestic.

She was already at Nascent Soul perfection, and the Crimson Beauty Canon had been cultivated to small success, with signs of a breakthrough; showing it at this moment immediately made people look sideways.

"Then let me experience the power of a soldier cultivator!"

This soldier cultivator is not that soldier cultivator; it is a cultivator of military formations and army momentum, not a cultivator of weapons and magical treasures.

Kill!

Su Wanhe did not speak, but only moved by waving her blade, and immediately a thousand armies and ten thousand horses led the red tassels, galloping out, vast and mighty, making one unable to help but feel terrified.

Boom—!

Suddenly there were rumbles of muffled thunder, and thick dark clouds had already covered the sky.

Crack!

A silver light exploded from within; Jia Yao was in the air, and at this moment, his own method, the thoroughly mastered Thunder Canon, was fully unleashed, and then he raised his hand in a gesture, and bolts of thunder like snakes immediately poured out.

Top-grade spell, Silver Thunder White Lightning!

This small-success technique is truly extraordinary, not to mention that the killing power of thunder methods is also enough to look down upon all other methods of the same rank, and can be mentioned in the same breath as the sword of a sword cultivator.

At this moment, the onlookers only felt that their vision and divine sense were filled with a dazzling silver-white; for a time, they were unable to see the arena clearly, with only the sound of thunder, as if drums were being beaten constantly in their ears.

Dong, dong, dong……

No, it was not just the sound of thunder; there really was the sound of drums!

A point of crimson silver pierced through, like tearing a canvas, suddenly removing all the thunder covering the sky, allowing people to see the arena clearly again; they only saw the fluttering red tassels disappear, the ground in a mess, and Jia Yao falling from the sky.

Did she win?

Could this be the first genius to be cut down by a top talent in this Grand Competition?

People could not help but think this, and Xiong Fa and Hao Liaoxue began to be jubilant.

"No, she lost."

Du En, however, saw such an outcome.

He only saw Jia Yao's falling figure suddenly bloom, turning into roaming thunder.

A point of red tassel crimson suddenly appeared in his original position, and Su Wanhe, with a straight posture, appeared, carrying a waist drum at her waist, which was mottled and charred, obviously having suffered great damage.

"Good, good, good, Fellow Daoist Su is truly admirable; possessing a strange treasure, you are not a soldier cultivator at all, yet you can fully display the style of a military strategist, making one have no doubts."

Jia Yao, who appeared on the other side, had a deep gash on his back, cut by the blade; the protective magic that should have been very effective, along with two layers of protective magical artifacts, were all cut through directly, and at this moment, it was lingering with a layer of crimson color, penetrating bones and eroding marrow, like a maggot on a tarsal bone; even with thunder electric arcs flashing frequently, it was very difficult to remove for a time.

"Hehe, I never said I was a soldier cultivator; if you insist on misunderstanding, you cannot blame me."

Su Wanhe gave a crafty smile and replied, appearing relaxed, but actually feeling deeply frustrated.

She used a strange treasure to disguise herself as a soldier cultivator, focusing on the element of surprise and powerful piercing kills; it is called Crimson Beauty Shattering the Void, and has been cultivated to what can be called great success, so she almost won this round just now, but unfortunately, it fell short in the end.

"If I were not a thunder-method cultivator who detected the clues of that strange treasure in time and urgently applied defenses, I would have truly suffered a sudden defeat……"

Jia Yao's emotions were also surging; he had thought that as a genius, dealing with a top talent who was once on the same level, even if not easy, should have been very advantageous; he did not expect that just after coming out, he would almost be defeated.

He immediately disregarded further exposure and unleashed another thunder method.

Boom—~

The targeted space-locking white lightning immediately descended from the sky; it was only the size of a forearm in thickness, but it swayed and roamed, forming an active large net connecting heaven and earth, immediately covering Su Wanhe's side.

Although she felt there was no chance of winning, she did not immediately surrender and admit defeat, because she still wanted to reveal Jia Yao's cards and let Du En see more before she was defeated, so as to avoid suffering from the fierceness of this thunder method if they were to face each other later.

Their paper strength appeared close, so it was normal for her to have this thought now.

Du En observed Jia Yao's side, and seeing that he still had room for restraint, he did not speak to interrupt.

Dong, dong, dong!

Su Wanhe gritted her teeth and beat the drum; immediately, the war drum sounded, muffled and heavy, and one by one, the heroic spirits of the battlefield appeared, gathering into a formation, daring to charge into the fray.

Kill!

"Break!"

Su Wanhe herself gave a delicate shout; although the space-locking white lightning could trap space, her Crimson Beauty Shattering the Void was not just a name; she immediately waved her Guan Dao, and the space was directly slashed open.

Thus, the heroic spirits charged, directly crossing several miles to kill in front of Jia Yao.

But he was already prepared; at this moment, his pupils shone, erupting with pressure, and a thunder magic robe covered his body; it was the top-grade spell, White Lightning Robe and Crown.

Although there was only the robe and no crown now, it was also at small success; as it was draped over him, he seemed like a god of thunder, high and unreachable, untouchable by mortals, and the same went for the heroic spirits of the battlefield!

Thus, the red tassels fluttered and finally returned to silence, unable to touch even a fraction.

"Hah!"

The general still remained, and he swung his blade down fiercely.

Rip!

Space was torn open once again.

"Well come!"

Jia Yao was already prepared and immediately turned to strike with his palm.

Thunder Seal!

A small seal, as if cast from thunderbolts, shone with intense brilliance, directly facing the crimson radiance that had torn through the air.

Clang!

"Pfft!"

Su Wanhe spat blood and flew backward, rolling upon landing and crashing through trees and hills before finally coming to a stop; the spiritual light of her crimson protective dharma skirt flickered, but it still had some strength left and did not dim or shatter on the spot.

Jia Yao had held back.

He had also concealed the true might of his natal dharma treasure.

Killing two birds with one stone, he let out a sigh of relief and twitched his mouth; the wound on his back still hurt quite a bit, mainly because the crimson dharma power was like bone-gnawing poison, as tenacious as she herself was, for at this moment, she was already struggling to stand up.

Although he had held back, it could actually be considered going all out; he had not expected her to be able to do this, which was truly admirable.

"Cough! I have lost."

While coughing up blood, Su Wanhe managed to form a seal to disperse the bone-gnawing dharma power here.

"I must thank you, Fellow Daoist, for making me suddenly realize that one cannot underestimate the heroes of the world."

Jia Yao appeared very sincere; after all, he had almost capsized in the gutter this time.

If it had been a genius at the early stage who did not cultivate thunder arts and had slower reactions, and had not noticed in time, they might have capsized long ago!

Such a situation undoubtedly stirred the spirits of the outstanding talents and made the geniuses change their views and take notice.

The two exchanged farewells and each left the small world; Jia Yao returned to his own White Iron Floating Pillar, while the homeless Su Wanhe flew toward Du En's side.

Once she entered, she stopped forcing herself and sat directly on the ground in a relaxed manner.

"Haha, I must thank you, Talented Du, for your dharma artifact; otherwise, it would have been hard to even preserve this final shred of dignity."

She spoke thus, causing Xiong Fa and Hao Liaoxue to be astonished.

"So that's how your Battle Spirit Drum came to be?"

"But that's not right; you obtained it over twenty years ago, and Talented Du seemed to still be at the bottom of the social ladder in Nanmo back then, and you haven't been there, or did you secretly get sent to Nanmo City to provide support last time?"

The two immediately began to imagine things, appearing curious and concerned.

Du En only took out a large vat of spiritual soup; it was steaming hot, having just been cooked, and could heal injuries, stabilize dharma power, nourish the body, and replenish yin and yang—in short, it was a spiritual meal for recuperation.

With a clatter, he placed it directly in front of Su Wanhe; it was ten times heavier than ten of her put together, which left her—who had been about to explain to those two—stunned on the spot, and she ended up staring blankly at Du En.

"It's not that drum; it's the fourth-grade supreme-grade dharma robe and inner armor that I refined at the Southern Pivot City before; they count as good goods that weren't crudely made."

Du En explained briefly.

Although most of what he had made before was crudely crafted, he had indeed piled on materials to carefully refine a small portion of good goods; in any case, the materials were all from the Pill and Artifact Division over there.

Based on this situation, he could secretly gauge the might of Jia Yao's dharma treasure.

To be able to strike his two protective dharma artifacts—the fourth-grade supreme-grade crimson skirt and soft gold armor, which he had refined with some care at the time—to the point where their artifact seals almost collapsed... he generally had a bottom line now.

Because Jia Yao could deceive others, but he could not deceive the person who refined the artifacts.

"Being able to help Talented Du is naturally for the best."

Su Wanhe looked at the deliberation here and immediately let out a sigh of relief, appearing less frustrated, feeling that her actions still had meaning.

Hearing her finish, Du En nodded and looked at her again.

Su Wanhe's eyes wandered.

He then spoke directly: "Why aren't you eating? The Resolution specifically had me give this to you."

"No, uh, I was actually wondering, why is it a spiritual meal, and why such a large vat of it?"

"Because I am currently working a side job; the Resolution doesn't want everything to end up on my side in the end, so as the employer, they started putting forward various requirements for me."

"Uh, you mean?"

"That's right, even if you all break through to the Transformation to Divinity stage later, it is estimated that there will be a period of time where you won't be able to get a supply of normal pills."

Su Wanhe's pupils could not help but constrict.

Du En's expression did not change.

Xiong Fa and Hao Liaoxue were equally astonished, but the main point of their astonishment was that he actually still had the time and mood to take on a side job?

It was clearly the critical moment of the Grand Competition, and a whole crowd of people were about to have their Dao hearts collapse, yet you... you are truly worthy of being you!

"Cough, cough!"

Seeing that the situation was becoming a bit stiff, Ying Dongqing sighed inwardly and could not help but cough twice, having no choice but to step forward: "Fellow Daoist Su, let me support you, come."

Saying this, she supported Su Wanhe—who seemed to have seen a savior and whose perception of her had risen sharply—and led her away, taking the large vat of spiritual soup with her; before leaving, she looked at Du En and shook her head slightly in her heart, appearing quite sighful.

This was naturally nothing at a critical juncture, but now was not the time; could he not be a little more considerate of others' feelings?

How could he make a female cultivator who still had her reserve eat an entire vat of spiritual soup in front of everyone!

Xiong Fa and Hao Liaoxue looked at each other, not knowing what was going on.

So they both looked at Du En.

"Let's talk about Jia Yao's situation."

"Good!"

"I have doubts and require the Talented One's instruction."

The three immediately began to discuss, mainly for Xiong Fa's benefit.

Because he might also run into Jia Yao next.

This Thousand-Day Grand Competition actually has many undisclosed rules; for instance, opponents of similar strength are arranged based on specific performance, unless there is some extra manipulation, like the situation Du En is facing.

However, this discussion was destined to be in vain.

Because Xiong Fa also lost very quickly.

That was when the second round progressed to the one hundred and thirty-first match, and Xiong Fa appeared on stage again.

"Hahaha! Yingjie, watch closely, I, Old Xiong, will certainly not let down your guidance!"

He happened to be with Du En at this time, mainly because he had encountered some obstacles in his cultivation, so he had run over early to seek guidance.

Because he was a weapon cultivator among the artifact cultivators, Du En, who was proficient in artifact refining and could be called a master, was able to give some suggestions that made him suddenly enlightened and benefit greatly.

At this moment, the duel began, and under the gaze of the others gathered, they first saw him being brought back to his own white iron floating pillar by an invisible force, then the two floating pillars moved forward, the railings rose, and each stepped out from within.

The gazes of the participants followed; the geniuses were basically still calm, but the outstanding talents were now fewer and fewer, and the more they competed, the more miserable they became; the excitement previously brought by Su Wanhe had long been worn away, instead making them feel even more desperate now.

Because after her match, several more geniuses entered the arena to duel, but the situation was more crushing than the last, directly extinguishing their light of hope.

If one had not seen the light, one would not loathe the darkness.

Therefore, the outstanding talents were now all on the verge of collapse, and seeing Xiong Fa, an exception who could still wear a smile, they immediately could not help but lose their composure and break down.

Thus, after seeing the opponent clearly, they could not help but speak out, venting their displaced anger and resentment.

"Hahaha! This guy who looks so stupid at a glance, he is finally going to be unlucky!"

"That's right, he actually ran into that guy Wang Gu, haha, he's going to be flesh and blood in a moment!"

"Oh? Who is Wang Gu? Do you know him?"

"Of course I know him; in the eastern lands of the Immortal Sect, who doesn't know this White Bone Daoist?"

"Damn it, he deserves it! Daoist Wang, beat him hard, ravage him alive!"

"..."

A large pile of idle gossip made Xiong Fa immediately furious, while at the same time, there was suddenly a feeling of horror.

Not yet having entered the arena, he looked up and raised his head, only managing to catch a glimpse of a cold sneer in a fleeting moment.

Within that, there was a turbid yet pure malice, different from the wild words of those scumbags!

He could not help but shiver, subconsciously wanting to ask for Du En's opinion, but immediately he secretly swung his blade to cut away his distracting thoughts, and his entire momentum spontaneously revived once more.

I am also a top-tier outstanding talent, a person who has the possibility of breaking through to the Deity Transformation stage and being properly called a genius; how can I trouble others with everything, how can I rely on others for everything!

Moreover, if I am like that, how can I shine and generate heat for the great cause of the Lord!

He was high-spirited again, he was still firm, and that spirit made the idle gossip disappear and weaken unconsciously, appearing even more moving, because before participating in this grand competition, who among those present was not this confident and high-spirited?

Thus, in the end, only silent gazes remained, and they could not help but produce a little bit of expectation.

"Wang Gu, known as the White Bone Daoist, is born perfectly compatible with that White Bone Dao Scripture. Although he is only at the early Nascent Soul stage now, he has only been cultivating for thirty years, and since the Golden Core stage, he has been notorious, once killing a genius of the same rank in the Sighing Death Gobi, thereby becoming famous and obtaining that title."

Amidst the worried gazes of others behind him, Du En spoke this information slowly.

At the same time, he secretly lowered his eyes slightly, because a genius of this level clearly could not be competing in this round, and coming from the eastern lands of the Immortal Sect, he was a subordinate of that True Monarch Regretful Love; it must be that she, who had been slightly silent, had struck again to target them!

"The White Bone Dao Scripture, is that the inherited treasure scripture of the ancient demonic sect, the White Bone Dao?"

"I have also heard of it; isn't that a top-grade cultivation technique?"

"Could it be that he only received half, or is it a special case where he was taught the whole thing?"

The three of them spoke one after another, all showing signs of concern and nervousness.

Du En spoke again: "From the information given by the resolution side, it is a special full teaching, but it is not a normal special full teaching. Hmm, I know why now."

Watching the development in the arena, he immediately knew the reason behind it.

The other three did not continue to ask, because the situation in the arena was developing so fast that it somewhat exceeded their imagination.

In the arena, within the small world.

"Hehehe~"

Seeing Xiong Fa take the initiative to step in and seek death, Wang Gu, this White Bone Daoist, laughed, and thick malice seeped out.

His face was extremely gaunt, practically skin and bones, and his attire was more like that of a funeral director, dressed in gray and black, exuding a rotten, foul smell of a corpse.

"Damn it, bag of bones, what are you laughing at? If your voice is ugly, don't spread it everywhere. Just disgust yourself, don't come to disgust others!"

Xiong Fa's momentum was at its peak at this moment, and he did not have the slightest bit of fear.

Wang Gu was not angry either.

Because there was no need to be angry with a dead person!

Pfft!

Boom!

The earth shattered, and white bones reached out.

This evil art of White Bone Overgrowth was used by him casually.

A faint evil nature began to spread, and thousands of white bone skeletons filled the earth in the blink of an eye.

Xiong Fa did not feel terrified and directly took out his natal dharma treasure, the Stop-War Halberd.

He was a weapon cultivator, and all his combat power lay in his dharma treasure. At this moment, facing the swarm of white bones climbing and attacking, he immediately boosted his divine might, the halberd rang out, and without any fear, he killed his way into it.

His momentum was truly invincible; he could open mountains when encountering mountains and cut water when encountering water. Normal opponents would only be killed until they were terrified, and even if they wanted to use spatial movement, once pointed at by that halberd, it was difficult to escape, and they could only bite the bullet and continue to resist the pressure.

Xiong Fa's fighting style had not changed, his power had not changed, but the opponent had changed.

Wang Gu did not move at all, had no extra movements, and his gaze was still looking as if at a dead person, malice flowing out, licking silently, making one's hair stand on end, not daring to look directly.

In front of him, the swarm of white bones continued to surge, already covering the sky and the earth, as if it would never end, directly drowning Xiong Fa who was struggling to fight within it.

Here, he fought more bravely the more he fought, and grew stronger the more he fought; the halberd rang incessantly, his dharma power was vast and astonishing. With one swing of the halberd, a large area of white bone skeletons shattered, and with one step, he could shatter a large area of white bone skeletons.

However, there was a point that he himself had not yet discovered, but those watching from outside the arena could see clearly.

Retreating instead of advancing!

Within the torrent of the great swarm of white bones, Xiong Fa himself did not even notice, still thinking he was drawing ever closer to the enemy, and was about to bring him into his usual rhythm, to crush him head-on in the style of a violent storm lashing against banana leaves!

That's right, he was clearly advancing, yet why was he actually retreating?

The outstanding talents could not understand, and the geniuses wore grave expressions.

"Ah! Little thief! Why do you cowardly retreat!"

Xiong Fa's momentum was at its peak, reaching its zenith, such that it could be said even gods and demons would find it hard to block; he directly shattered the white bone skeletons surrounding him, and then prepared to make the move that one would naturally make when facing an enemy trying to distance themselves.

Did someone's voice seem to come over?

In the split second before making his move, Xiong Fa could not help but feel a sense of suspicion in his heart.

That Wang Gu, however, could not help but reveal a wide smile, his gaze drifting toward another direction.

Not good, he's going to run!

Xiong Fa was suddenly gripped by great urgency; no longer suspicious, he threw his halberd out directly, piercing through space, capable of leveling a mountain, and it arrived instantly before Wang Gu.

He only gently raised his hand, very slowly.

It was like a skeleton's arm, very thin.

Then, he pressed his fingertip against the tip of the halberd.

Crack!

The Stop-War Halberd shattered.

"Pfft!"

With all his cultivation tied to this weapon, Xiong Fa immediately spat out essence blood, even mixed with faint clumps of mana—those were fragments of a Nascent Soul!

His bear-like, burly body fell backward, and the surrounding white bone skeletons swarmed up.

Huh?

What is happening?

I lost? How did I lose?

Xiong Fa's vision grew dim, his sight began to sink, and the last light in his eyes was covered by shadows; thousands of skeletons scrambled to reach out their hands, and a wave of resentment seeped spontaneously into his Nascent Soul, into his very soul.

"Come, come!"

"Hahaha!"

"Become one of us, and experience boundless pain together!"

"Jie jie jie!"

"Blood! Flesh! Flesh and blood, eat you!"

"Why are you able to live? Ah, what a fresh and detestable living being, I want to..."

Boom!

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!!!!!

Magical artifacts, trailing spiritual light, plummeted down, directly clearing away the thousands of white bone skeletons.

Du En entered the scene calmly to intervene, calmly grabbed Xiong Fa's body, and calmly looked at Wang Gu in front of him.

"You have crossed the line."

"..."

This White Bone Daoist was silent for a moment, then could not help but laugh, "How could that be? I am merely helping the Immortal Sect clear away useless trash; look, just now, no True Monarch came to stop me."

"I have come, which means you have crossed the line."

Du En only replied with this.

This was the best rebuttal; that he could enter meant it was not the case that there was no intervention.

"Hahaha! How ridiculous!"

Wang Gu immediately laughed in a very ugly manner, as if he had heard some joke, "It is only because there is an anomaly supporting you from above that you truly think you are some kind of person? No, that is not it; you are just a bunch of useless, trashy, base-born people. I am clearing you away, which is only right and proper; this is the most correct thing to do!"

These words seemed to implicitly encompass a great deal, directly dragging in the others who were watching, not just targeting Du En's side.

(End of chapter)